The Upside of Being Dead
by Tricksters Love
Summary: A different look at a popular fiction.
1. Why I Hate Dark Alleyways

**Why I Hate Dark Alleyways**

Dark alleys are something I once avoided like open sewers and road kill. Now, however, they present little frustration besides lighting issues. This is my third year working as a courier in Chicago as I work through college and my fifth year as a martial arts student. Now I'm not saying I could fend off twenty attackers at once but five or six is doable if risky.

That is why I didn't immediately book it when two males emerged from the shadows just ahead of me. I continued pedaling, keeping my eyes straight ahead. Two was never a problem. I was expecting the arm that came out to catch me but even then I was almost caught by him. I slammed back on the pedals, sliding off my bike, and lunged forward to catch him in the stomach.

As I lunged, he just disappeared. The next instant I felt his hand hitting my back with enough force to send me flying to the ground. I rolled with it then came to my feet. I didn't need any more of a demonstration to prove I was outclassed but I guess they liked to play with their victims a bit. The blond just stood to a side as the dark one advanced. He seemed to enjoy watching.

I snorted at that thought then braced myself. His shoulder hit my chest and I flew back into the wall. He flipped me over easily, pressing me against the bricks with an ease that was faintly disturbing. I threw my head back and managed to hit him full on in the face though it felt as if I had really just thrown my head at the wall. I could feel the chill now, as if it were January and not May.

The blond laughed as I fluently cussed the dark one and 'whatever whorish slumbitch' didn't strangle him when she had the chance. I could tell it was the blond from the tone. If the dark one ever laughed, it would probably sound like rust.

I figured the blond was some rich boy out for laughs. Where that left me, however… I was none too pleased with the possibilities. The dark one yanked me around to face the blond who approached with a grace that was inhuman. I blinked once, slowly, as he smiled. It was a cold expression with only cruel humor to warm it.

This did not look good. I could feel the grimace forming on my lips as he lifted his hand and caressed my cheek. I was as yet determined to bruise the bastards, at least. Kicking out with both legs, I caused him to step back though the other just threw me against the wall again then grabbed my throat and squeezed. Lack of air is a great incentive for good behavior, let me tell you.

"Michael, let us keep this one. She could prove of some use." The dark one, Michael, grunted in agreement. "She's fast," he growled then paused thoughtfully for a moment and added "not as fast as us."

Wonderful; it would be Captain Obvious and his faithful sidekick Creepy Boy to be the ones to off me.

"That can change. I had better do it; you ripped the last one to shreds." Blondie smiled as Captain Obvious eyed me suspiciously. "Drop her Michael. She is hardly dangerous to us."

As much as he was probably right, it still stung my pride a bit. All the same, I was moving the instant he released me. I had just about reached the mouth of the alley when I felt cold hands around my mouth and stomach. Like I said, they like to play with their victims. I felt a piercing pain as he bit into my throat, then again, then—pain consumed me. I suppose that was when I started screaming.

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**AN**: Welcome to my experiment. I appreciate any heads up on spelling/grammar errors. I do my best! If you like it so far, please say so. I can always use a little encouragement. Thanks!


	2. First Lessons

**First Lesson**

Pain. That's all there was. For the second time in my life, I felt the chilling desire for death. I fought against that instinct for a measureless length of time. It was really all one moment of agony as if someone had pressed the pause button and left me hanging somewhere between time and space.

After an eternity of nothing but the constant wrenching, burning torment, I began to be aware of my surroundings once more but only on the outmost edges of my consciousness. Slowly I realized I was gaining room for thought. Glorious day.

An achingly slow process began then as the tortuous flame lifted away. When it had left my digits, I noticed the building fire in my chest and despaired. The idea of a situation getting worse before it got better was not exactly a thrilling concept. At least it was speeding up. I could feel my back arching as the fire tore its way through my system once more.

Everything within me screamed out in protest as my heart flung itself against my chest in an attempt to break free of its prison and the fire that accosted it. It all accumulated into one last herculean thump then—nothing. All was still. I opened my eyes to see the blond standing over me with the same cold smile on his face. At first I simply felt relief at my release from my anguish but a moment later I felt the burning thirst.

"Water." My eyes widened in surprise at the sound. My voice was… strange. What had they done to me?

"I am afraid it will take something a bit stronger than water to sate your thirst." He glanced casually towards the only door in the room.

I could smell it now. I suppose the scent would be comparable to that of Chinese food after spending a month in the desert with naught but the sand to keep your stomach occupied. Before I knew what I was doing, I was through the door and my jaw was clamped down on her throat. In a complete delirium, I tore into the sweet tasting flesh and fed. Only when the limp body fell from my hands did I understand what I had done.

"Oh… oh God." My voice was too beautiful for the emotion. I felt a hand on my shoulder, cool though not uncomfortably so.

"In time you will gain control; I shall teach you that. For now, we shall keep you well fed to avoid any _accidents_." He left me in the dark room with the body. Though fast cooling, her skin was warm against mine. No, net her, it. Just a corpse now. Letting the body fall back to the floor, I blinked once, slowly, though my eyes did not need it.

I realized then in a sort of dream-like fashion that I had not breathed once since I had fed. I breathed in then and reveled in the collection of scents that was now available to me. I waited for the revulsion from the killing. It never came.

Time passed in its usual inexorable manner and the sun soon peeked through the cracks in the shades. Morning already. I rose from the ground, my mind present and yet far away. The horror would come after I had figured out what was wrong with me. I refused to even consider the nagging suspicion that was currently dogging my thoughts.

I crossed the floor to the eastern window and with one swift movement, I pulled up the shades.

It was beautiful, this new world. Even with the sickening cold feeling growing steadily within me, I could not help but stare in awe at the rising sun. The city was alight with color and sound that my ears had registered earlier but only now had I paid any mind. For a moment the cold feeling was forgotten.

Then the shades were pulled down and I was forced around by Captain Obvious himself.

"You may be Gabriel's pet, but I will not—"

"Calm yourself, Michael, she did not know."

Blondie glided into the room to pat Michael daintily on the shoulder. I guess I wasn't the only 'pet'. Michael growled softly but moved aside all the same. Gabriel went to touch my cheek but I easily fended him off. I grinned as I did, taking full appreciation of the silver lining to this particular cloud. He only smiled at my reaction and gestured to the window.

"Sunlight will not harm us, nor holy water, nor crosses. Garlic tastes disgusting as all cattle food does but has no other side effect. However," he said as he flung open the shades with a flourish and held his hand out in the light with equal dramatic effect. "The light shows us for what we are."

It was as if a crystal had shattered over his skin. Unconsciously, I went to brush the shards away when my own hand caught the sunlight. After a moment he let the shades fall once again.

"There is little that can destroy us and only one rule."

His cold eyes followed my movements as I shifted my hand from front to back with inhuman speed. I met his gaze after a long moment. "Don't get caught?"

"Precisely." So ended my first lesson.

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**AN**: So here's chapter two. I appreciate any heads up on spelling/grammar errors. I do my best! If you like it so far, please say so. I can always use a little encouragement. Thanks!


	3. Bit by Bit I Break

Night again as I roam the streets of yet another town. It had been months since I had first met the boys and dozens of bodies already piled up behind me. The thirst could be sated for a moment but would flare up again the instant I caught the scent of a human, or cattle as Gabriel called them. That first week, Gabriel took me out of the city to teach me the ways of our kind. Later, Michael met up with us towing along the fourth and final member of our happy party. Eli is the kind one. He makes sure his victims do not suffer. He is also the weakest except for his gift. Fire touch, Gabriel calls it. A physical attack that is enacted by touch. If held long enough, he could make even a vampire crumble into ash.

Gabriel is the elder, and the leader of our little band. He is as fair as he is cruel; which is considerable on both counts, even for a vampire. Michael is, as I had expected from the moment I first fought him, a creature of instinct and brute strength. Neither had any extra gifts as far as I knew but their experience was something I could defer to. Though we had very different reasons for fearing any lapse in my tentative control, our goal was the same. So I fed on the nameless dozens to keep from slaughtering hundreds as Gabriel told me I would if my hunger was left unchecked and slowly grew to hate myself more and more. Now, just below me in a dark alley, much like the one I had been caught in, lay my newest victim.

She was younger than most I picked but I was too hungry to be picky. She was old enough to know better than to go into dark alleyways alone at night. I ate quickly, slitting the throat cleanly and taking her purse and jewelry with me when I left. A thin cover to be sure but enough to be satisfactory. We would leave the area soon enough that it would not matter. This time we had chosen to stay in one of the houses just outside the town limits though it had not really been necessary. I stopped complaining about needless death a long time ago. If it was not one human, it was another. The owners had gone to Gabriel and Eli, as usual. Rarely did Gabriel allow Eli out of his sight. I figure he's afraid that Eli would leave the first chance he gets which makes sense even though I doubt Eli would ever make a run for it. He's smart enough to know that Gabriel would prefer him to be dust then someone else's plaything.

That very paranoia naturally left Michael and I with hunting detail. It was tolerable now that Michael had learned I do not go in for muscles. I thought there might be some trouble when he complained to Gabriel, but he just laughed. Honestly, I was taken by surprise when Michael showed his interest in me. I guess I had just taken him for completely gay after so many days of watching him follow Gabriel around like a puppy. Plain pathetic is what it is. Anyway, sexual orientation aside, I am sure Michael is jealous of Eli and I figure that could work for me in the future. I slump down in one of the overstuffed chairs though I don't really need to physically. Makes me feel a little more normal I suppose.

Her wallet is still in my hands. I riffle through it, pocketing the cash just in case. Not much else there except for a couple credit cards and a photo id. Then the picture falls out. I catch it easily and stare at the bright happy faces. The girl is to the right, flanked by an older man I assume is her father and a woman who is probably her mom. A younger girl is splayed out on the grass at their feet and a tall, lanky youth stands to the left. He seems to be brooding like most kids do at his age though there is a hint of a smile on his lips. Gabriel is at my side then, smiling coldly, as usual.

"A souvenir? How…quaint." He laughs as if he has just made some great joke.

Eli comes up behind him, face blank. Both watch as I slip the photo into my pocket then discard the wallet onto the floor. Neither comment though I can sense Gabriel's frustration. He would rather I were as heartless as him or at least apathetic like Michael. Constantly I am assured that my feelings will pass with time. Gabriel sighs dramatically then swings around to face away from me. Just before he leaves, he casts a glance over his shoulder and smirks.

"Happy birthday, Alex."

It takes me a moment to understand what he's getting at but then it hits me. One year to the day. I groan quietly then curl up in the chair, wishing for the hundredth, thousandth, millionth time that I could cry. I start considering my options once more. I could run away but I would only end up massacring some family when I got too hungry to fight the thirst. Then there was the Volturi. I sighed and curled up even tighter into a ball. Suicide was not really an option. I refused to give in to such a stupid, destructive thing. I was sure that there must be some other option but what it might be…I had considered animal, once, but, unfortunately, Gabriel had informed me of the consequences of ingesting it.

So I was well and truly stuck. Maybe this was just the way life was going to be. I took out the picture and tried to crumple it up or rip it to shreds but instead just put it back in my pocket. I just couldn't release that final shred of humanity. It was a moment that I would repeat many times over the next few years.

AN: I realize these chapters have been a little short. Unfortunately, I write much faster than i type. Would you prefer more updates or lengthier ones? Just wondering. Next chapter is going to be a doozy. Enjoy!


	4. A Wager

It was just after that first year mark that I had the first inkling that I might not be made up the same way as a 'normal' vampire. Gabriel would occasionally goad Michael into fighting me which was almost pointless early on. With my earlier training combined with my newborn strength, the matches were quick affairs. However, now that I had passed my first year, my strength would begin to wane and I expected to lose at least the occasional match. It never happened. Michael became increasingly frustrated though Gabriel would only smile when he grumbled. I figured Gabriel knew something but  
I never bothered to ask. I was fast losing interest in this bloody world even to the point that I barely registered the fact that it was no longer just Gabriel who followed me with his gaze. All that I knew of Eli, I knew by observation, for Gabriel scarce gave us the chance to exchange greetings, much less speak.

I had asked Michael once about Eli when we were out hunting. All he knew was that Gabriel had turned him and that they had travelled with another group before joining him some ten, fifteen years ago. Michael had been a loner for the most part, beforehand, though I noticed he had no trouble deferring to Gabriel. I wondered about that, too, but my apathy was far stronger than my curiosity. Curious, but not enough to spark any motivation in me. So it went for several months until we met two of our kind while on the move. They were the first I had seen besides the boys though they were similar enough in action and appearance to be of no interest. I stepped to the side, allowing Gabriel to do the talking as he so loved to do.

As it happened, we met on opposite edges of a small clearing just outside a small village we had passed over in favor of the more isolated cabins on the outskirts of the village. Less suspicious all around. There were two of them, a male and a female, the latter choosing to remain back in the trees as the male approached speaking distance then halted. The female was of no consequence to me though the male was faintly intriguing. His dark hair contrasted nicely with his pale skin, bright red eyes scanning our group with a faint air of apprehension though his amiability more than made up for it.

"Well met! Better go north, my friend. Out west there is nothing but goats and the occasional scrawny sheppard."

He grinned, his bright eyes flickering over to me. He nodded then paused and outright stared. I noted in a detached way that the brightness of his eyes indicated a recent feeding.

"Her eyes—" "Are none of your concern." Gabriel stated coldly, moving out in front of me then stepping forward threateningly. The female flitted to her partner's side, teeth bared, but the male held her back. Gabriel growled softly then laughed a humorless, dark sounding laugh. He backed up quickly into the woods, pulling his partner along and never taking his eyes off Gabriel. For all that he was aware of the danger, there was a sort of reluctance in his leaving. Michael shifted twice as we waited for the two to disappear completely. After they were suitably out of ear range, Michael nudged Gabriel softly and laughed.

"Shall I fetch?" Gabriel laughed as well but shook his head then turned to the north.

"His usefulness shall be his redemption." Was all he would say.

I mused quietly as we ran, mulling over the day's events then thinking back to my first days. I began to recognize specific events which had previously passed by my notice. They were such small things but as they say, God is in the details. Luckily, my senses picked up a lot more than I had realized. There was definitely something…out of place. That night, Gabriel sent Michael and I out into the woods to bring back what he laughingly called "take-out". A small group of hikers had camped out beneath a nearly sheer cliff that was only a handful of miles from where Gabriel and Eli waited. We had fed recently and didn't strictly need it but…well. That's Gabriel for you.

Michael, being bored, decided to turn the hunt into a bit of a game. We really only needed four of the cattle so we would both choose two of the unfortunate climbers to incapacitate, allowing the last to escape. Then the real hunt would begin. There were no stakes (pardon the pun) per se; simply a good chase. A well-fed, athletic human was a prize in Michael's mind and an extra feeding beyond that. I agreed, more out of a desire to give a quick end to my unwitting meal than anything else. We separated about half a mile away from the camp, planning to come in at different angles. I left at a leisurely pace, unconcerned about arriving late.

I was still much, much faster than Michael though I had noticed I was getting weaker. In truth, my greater speed made our relative strengths a moot point. For a few moments, there was a stream that paralleled my path to the camp and without quite knowing why, I paused by its bank and cautiously approached. I had not looked in a mirror or even a reflective surface since the day I was turned and, consequently, I found my appearance quite startling. I had never put much thought into it but I realized that I had just assumed that the boys had been beautiful to begin with and had attracted their…patrons because of that fact. It was a bit of a pleasant surprise to see that proven wrong.

All the same, it left a sick feeling in my stomach as I realized that the horrified awe that I had seen all too often on my victims faces as I approached was not, as I had foolishly assumed, born of fear. At least, not wholly so. The sounds of terrified screaming drew my away from the water though I had a moment to register one other fact. My eyes were not the shade of blood, bright or otherwise. Well, one of them was. The other was still the dark blue-green it had been in my previous existence. What was I, then? One more curiosity among a race of unusualties?

I entered the camp a moment later and caught one of the hikers in the stomach. I barely put any effort into the punch but the girl still flew backward into one of the trees then slid to the ground unconscious. One male Michael was already tearing into, apparently having forgotten our wager in a fit of bloodlust. The other male still in the camp was slowly dragging himself away though with both legs broken, it was a particularly hopeless not to mention painful attempt. I sent him into oblivion with a light tap on the head then, with a slightly scornful look at my companion, went off in pursuit of the missing hikers.

AN: So I had to cut this 'short' since I had not actually finished writing the chapter yet. Sorry about that. This is still the longest chapter yet. I get the feeling the chapters will level out at 2k words or so but who knows? Maybe they will just steadily get bigger... Ah well. I hope you are enjoying this admittedly odd tale. Till tomorrow.


	5. For The Best

I found them easily enough as the female was bleeding from a dozen wounds. The male appeared unharmed and could easily have outdistanced her but appeared unwilling to leave her. I followed them for a time, certain Michael would be well distracted for a while yet. After a few minutes of increasingly slow progress, the female finally collapsed. The male tried to help her up but she just asked him imploringly to run for help saying it would be faster way to get help and that she was far enough away from the camp to be relatively safe. He seemed torn by indecision but she won out in the end. He was soon racing through the woods at a much quicker pace though I would not have had any trouble running him down or even simply outpacing him.

The female watched his receding figure with a sad smile and I realized then that she knew he would not return in time. Even if I had not found her, the multiple wounds on her body ensured that she would bleed out long before he returned. I emerged from the trees then paused. Somehow she sensed my presence and as her gaze turned to regard me, her eyes grew wide though she did not utter a sound. I approached slowly then knelt beside her. I could almost taste her blood already, so thick the scent of it was in the air, but something held me back and restrained my thirst as we silently watched each other.

"Will it hurt?" Her voice was quiet, the words tense, but her tone was resigned.

"Only for a moment." Her eyes slid shut as she drew one last deep breath.

I brushed the stray hairs from her face and she shivered as my cold hand made contact with her skin. I breathed out slowly then lowered my head to her neck. The warmth was so nice.; comforting even as the thirst burned relentlessly in my throat. I bit down on the soft flesh as she shuddered against me, taking her into my arms as the bloodlust took over. A sweet taste though the moment was bitter. As her limp body fell from my arms, I felt the familiar ache take hold and wished desperately that I could find release in the tears that were now lost to me. For all my grief, I still heard him approach clearly. His breathing hitched as he let out an agonized cry. Then his hands were in mine and I was forcing him to the ground. The grief bit deeper and I fought against the instinct to kill him.

The female's blood was drying slowly on my lips as I stared down at him. His expression was a mixture of pain, and rage. In truth, I wanted him to hate me and was glad of his rage. Some sense of penance I suppose. So I let him go. Slammed his head against a tree, buried him in the undergrowth, and returned to the camp. Michael was already gathering up the two unconscious ones and we returned quickly. That night, as we ran through the woods and out into the rock strewn northern plains, I felt Eli's gaze on me the entire time. For once, curiosity got the better of me and I dropped back to speak with him. I loped along easily, keeping my eyes ahead for the most part, though I did not miss the sidelong gaze.

"Problem?" He chuckled softly, leaping over one of the larger boulders while I just ran around. Old habits and all that.

"I was wondering when you would finally break out of that mood. A year is a pretty long time to be sulking."

I fell silent then, not really sure how to respond. I suppose I had been sulking even if my 'mood', as he called it, was for several good reasons.

"I suppose you're happy like this? Being Gabriel's pet?" He winced slightly then frowned.

"Not his pet so much as his plaything. We aren't living things to him. And no, I'm not happy."

That last was delivered more as a whisper. We continued to run side by side until Gabriel called over his shoulder for me. I grinned at that, shoving Eli lightly as I headed up.

"Master calls."

His smile, though genuine, seemed rather sad. After so many years of this…I hardly blamed him. I joined Gabriel at the front just as he was looking back again. I ran alongside him for a moment as silence reigned then finally…

"You will not speak to him alone again, do you understand me?"

I nodded, not trusting myself to speak, then dropped back a couple steps. His pet indeed. Days later we were crossing into a colder climate. Where we had come from had been nearing midsummer but here it was newly spring. I was scouting the area for possible food sources when I heard the cries come up behind me. I sprinted back as quickly as possible to find Michael and Gabriel tearing into the ranks of…of…my mind stopped suddenly, trying to deny the scene before me. Three bodies lay scant inches from me, their eyes wide and glassy in death, the horror still clear in their frozen expressions. _Children_. I looked up to see Eli kneeling beside a little girl whose arm had been nearly ripped off. She was struggling to breathe until Eli crushed her skull neatly in his hands.

He had time enough to catch my eye as I looked on, caught in my own horror. Then I turned around and fled. I'm not sure how long I ran or how far. All I know is that after a long time the grief finally caught up to me and the emotional strain did what no physical punishment could do and sent me to my knees. There was a part of me that was tormented by the images and by the fact that part of myself wanted to join in. Like my eyes, I was neither one nor the other. My thirst burned in my throat as the guilt and rage tore at the bloody remains of my heart. Warmth, I could feel it. I struggled blindly towards it, eyes unseeing for the gory images that flashed before them. The thing struggled but it was not strong enough. I fed without thinking, the numb feeling chasing away all other thought. I drank and the thirst was sated though the taste…my vision cleared and I looked down at the animal whose dead eyes stared up at me still.

Perhaps this was simply…for the best.

AN: Yes, she still believes Gabriel's story about drinking animal blood. Yes, she thinks she is going to die a very nasty death.


	6. Renewed

Hours passed and the sun rose, igniting the sky in a flurry of color as it did. I watched as the world around me woke. It was nearly midday when they found me. I offered no resistance as Gabriel dragged me to my feet and proceeded to beat me. His punches did some damage but I did not react other than rising when the blows knocked me to the ground. Finally he wrapped one hand around my throat and growled. His eyes were a dark red that spoke only of the countless multitudes he had slain to keep his mockery of a life going.

"I should just kill you now, for all the trouble you have caused me." I laughed at his words, causing a flicker of surprise to cross his features.

"If you were going to kill me, you would have done it already." Gabriel growled again and tightened his grip on my throat.

I watched him with a dispassion that seemed only to infuriate him even more though he did release his hold on me. I walked past him to where Michael and Eli stood. I nodded in acknowledgement of Michael's greeting but my eyes were on Eli. Though Gabriel's and Michael's eyes had darkened some since their last feed, his were nearly black with hunger. He seemed to find my eyes just as interesting. A faint feeling rose in me out of the numb void which had seized my bloody and bruised heart though it took me a long moment to recognize that feeling as hope.

"She was suffering."

His voice was soft and apologetic. His eyes burned with unspoken emotion and for a moment I wondered if he had ever longed for tears as I had. Gabriel was cursing quietly behind me but I ignored him as Eli's gaze bore into me, trying to silently convince me that he had meant no harm. A bitter smile broke across my face as my heart constricted. Of course I believed him!

"An interesting thing I learned out here," I looked back at Gabriel, a grin replacing the pained smile. "Deer isn't too bad after all." I heard Eli shift slightly behind me and my grin widened but I kept my gaze on Gabriel.

His ready acceptance was enough of a conformation to my fears. He had lied from the beginning and I… He was smiling now as he watched me piece things together though his eyes were hard. I turned away for him and stepped towards Eli. My only warning was his eyes widening in fear. I dropped to the ground just as Gabriel flew over me. Rising quickly, I met his charge straight on with my knee in his stomach then slipped to his side and yanked his arm along with me and twisted it behind his back. Shoving him to the ground, I put my knee to his back and started to wrap my arm around his throat when he bit down on my forearm.

I screamed in rage and instinctively punched his head but he did not let go. So I did the only thing I could think of and bit down on his shoulder then again just above the hollow of his neck. He let go then, grabbing my hair with his free arm and pulling me forward over his shoulder. I caught his leg as he kicked out at my head then quickly rose. He watched me with a queer expression and stood very still for a moment before collapsing to the ground as Eli removed his hand from Gabriel's chest. I glanced back at Michael who simply shook his head and left. Unsure of what to make of his behavior, I looked to Eli who shrugged.

"They were only companions as long as it was convenient."

I began digging a hole then and Eli soon joined me. We would give our creator the privilege he had never afforded his victims and dig him a grave. It took little enough time and soon we had filled the grave back in with soil and were standing silently beside it. After a moment, Eli turned away and vanished into the woods. I followed him, never looking back. We ran in silence for a time though the forest provided welcome background noise.

"So…deer, huh?"

"Yup."

"Taste good?"

"Like earwax when you want steak."

"Damn."

We both laughed then out of relief and excitement. I shook my head to clear it then nodded towards the mountains which rose just ahead of us.

"Those look promising. Perhaps we can…widen our diet?"

"I have always wondered what mountain goat might taste like. Dirty socks or hair perhaps?"

I laughed then ran ahead for a moment, leaping up into the branches of the trees and continuing on high above the ground. The feeling of being released of a great burden lent my feet an extra spring which had the next words springing from my lips before I had really considered them.

"Race you."

And so the days passed for some time. Time passed but how much…I am not sure. Enough to turn our once blood colored eyes to gold. Eli was fascinated by the change but I was still worried about my 'mutation'. When I voiced my fears, Eli only laughed.

"Alex, I can burn through flesh, stone, and wood with my bare hands and you are worried about different colored eyes?" I shook my head slowly, my fears still present.

"More than likely, it has something to do with an extra ability. Have you noticed anything yet?"

"No. Neither did Gabriel and he watched me far more closely than you d

He coughed at that, embarrassed by my comment.

"About that—"

"Don't worry about it. You were waiting to see if I was like you, right?"

He looked at me oddly for a moment but just nodded.

"So it's fine. So what about these…changes?"

"Probably diet related. Unless this is merely the first symptom of our doom."

I stopped for a moment, wondering if he was right when Eli burst out laughing. Growling, I knocked him to the ground then straddled his chest and leaned in.

"Do. Not. Scare. Me. I am still stronger."

"That is incorrect."

Much to my dismay, I found myself flipped over on my back with Eli sitting on my stomach and a wide grin on his face. He laughed at my disgusted expression, then rose and let me rise. He froze then, eyes wide.

"Eli…?"

I glanced around the area but saw nothing. He cursed softly then groaned.

"Should have thought of it earlier. Before you, er, joined us, I walked in on Gabriel and Michael discussing some clan who had apparently gained the notice of the Volturi. Nothing definitely but anything that gets the old ones interested in anything is bound to be interested. They noticed me soon after and stopped talking but they called the clan golden-eyed."

"I assume you think they are like us then…?"

"Exactly."

Silence fell as I watched his eyes watch me. After a long moment, I smiled and brushed a stray hair out of his eyes.

"I suppose we should make ourselves presentable before we meet them."

Eli grinned, catching my hand and pressing it to his lips. Then he left to hunt, leaving me to wonder how red my face might be if I had any blood left to fuel the blush. Far away from us, a small mound of dirt rose up and parted to reveal a pale hand which was soon followed by another. I suppose I should have known our troubles would not end so easily.

AN: When Gabriel and Michael spoke, it was well before the Volturi 'visited' during Breaking Dawn. Right about now, the conflict has just come to a head though Alex and Eli are unaware of it. The mountains they saw were the rockies, just so you know (in general) where they are. They are actually in Canada at the moment but that will change soon. Onward!


End file.
